


My Prince

by Thorki_ed



Series: Tumblr Requests/Norsekink Prompts [19]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-09
Updated: 2012-06-09
Packaged: 2017-11-07 09:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/429608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorki_ed/pseuds/Thorki_ed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for this <a href="http://norsekink.livejournal.com/8802.html?thread=18226786#t18226786">norsekink</a>:</p><p>In short, Loki stayed in a broken Jotunheim that Thor is sent to so he can learn some humility and compassion. Thor and Loki work side by side to rebuild it, and fall in love in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Prince

“Son,” Laufey said sternly, “this is matter you must not take lightly. Loki swallowed in fear, on one knee in front of his father’s gigantic throne, barely able to hold eye contact with his father. 

“Yes, father.”

“You will need the utmost discipline with this delicate matter, and you will not fail.”

“Yes father.”

“Swear that you will obey my commands, see through what I need you to, and for once, stand taller than any man. All your life, you have followed, spied, and hid. It is time for you to grow. To rule. Swear it.”

“I swear, father.” And with those words, it took Loki everything he had not to stutter, tremble, or hesitate.

“Rise, son. Accept this task.”

Loki slowly stood straight and walked closer to his father, and listened intently about the Asgardian who would soon be upon them - the one named “Thor” whose father had almost single-handedly destroyed his beloved home.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

"Father, please!" Thor pleaded. "Please, Father, you must see there were no errors in my ways! I did it for you. For us. For all of Asgard!"

Odin would hear none of it. He had already made up his mind. "Thor Odinson, I banish you... To the very place you ravaged."

"Father! You won us the war there! You too ravaged Jotunheim at one point, did you not? I just wanted to secure Asgard. It was to help you!"

Odin did not even flinch. He raised his hands. Mjölnir flew to him. And with that, Thor was taken away by the guards with a look of disbelief. He was escorted to Jotunheim immediately. 

On the way there, he saw the faces of his friends, not daring to speak out against Odin, but certainly not agreeing with his sentence. They waved, and Sif even shed tears - a rare sight.

Heimdall opened the Bifrost, and dipped his head goodbye to Thor without saying any more.

Thor was still shocked. How could father do this to me? How could he send me to that dreaded place where those blue beasts roam free like savage animals?  
With only the clothes on his back, he was forced to leave his home behind.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thor was shown to his bed chambers, plainly decorated with white sheets and walls, frosted blue windows and curtains. It was eerie, and much different than the gold and red that Thor's room in Asgard had been. He was chilled to the bone.

With nothing to unpack, he sat on the edge of his bed and let his head fall to his hands. How could everything go so wrong? Thor still saw nothing wrong with what he had done.

"Come, warriors. Join me in making sure my father's work is not undone by those foul beasts!"

Fandral was of course, already persuaded. A true hero and leader, he shared Thor's passion for victory. Sif also agreed, partly because she was an incredible warrior, partly because she wanted to watch Thor's back. She could never live with herself if he lost in Jotunheim. 

Volstagg was still getting over his cowardice, but reluctantly agreed, so he may be with most of his friends.

Hogun, the pessimist absolutely refused them. But as they prepared their weapons and reached Heimdall at the Bifrost, he was sitting there, waiting. "I still think it's a bad idea, and you're all foolish. But foolish or not, you are still my comrades. We have fought side-by-side too long."

With that, they were off, bringing havoc to the already-flattened Jotunheim. Thor's heart had swelled at the sight of seeing the monsters flee before him and Mjolnir's might, and their buildings crumbled to the ground. He was proud of his Odinson name.

But that was before Odin himself showed up, halting the warriors in their tracks and demanding them back to Asgard. Demanding Thor be banished.

 

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Thor called, too drained to move.

A surprisingly small Jotun poked his head in. Glancing around, he approached Thor with a bundle in his hands.

"I figure you would not be accustomed to our temperatures," as he extended Thor thermal underarmour and an extra thick layering for his bed made of bear fur. He quickly turned to leave.

Thor was confused at the hospitality, and remembering last minute of his manners, he called in a booming voice, "Thank you... What is your name?"

"Loki," the small one whispered as he slipped out of the room as quickly as a serpent. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

When Thor awoke the next morning, he almost refused to leave the warmth of the bear fur. He reminded himself to thank the small one if he got the chance to.

A sharp rap at the door and a deep, scruffy voice jarred his bones, "Thor Odinson, you are to report to King Laufey at 08:00 in the Great Hall." Then, footsteps faded away.

Thor spotted the small clock on his bedside table that read 7:35 and got up in a hurry to meet the king. He shall not shame his name, or his father's, any further by delaying a meeting with the ruler of this realm.

The underarmour Loki provided proved to be another lifesaver as he was almost unaffected by the chill outside. He walked along a road of cracked stones, scattered with debris. He noticed that the whole realm seemed to be out and about, picking up rubbish where they could and collecting it. Thor was suddenly hit with a pang of guilt. These figures were not the ones he had seen in battle. They were not fierce in their eyes, and their stances were not one of battle. In fact, they seemed to look away from him as quickly as possible, and walked further from him.

When he reached the grand entrance to the Great Hall, he took a deep breathe to prepare himself. He noticed ragged edges where towers had been snapped off, and holes where large stones must have catapulted through.

Opening the doors, he was greeted by Laufey, standing in front of his giant throne of ice.

"Thor Odinson," his voice boomed.

Dropping to one knee, Thor bowed his head and greeted him, "King Laufey."

"Your father has sent you here for punishment, and I intend to take advantage of that. He left me no instructions. None. Do you understand that, little one?"

Thor hated his condescending and threatening tone, but he understood. It mean his dearest father had not cared about him, leaving him in the hands of this filthy beast. He uttered a "yes" towards the ground, head still bowed in honouring the king.

"This means that while you are here, you will be... one of us in a sense. You will obey our rules, and will suffer our consequences. Your princely title does you no good here, and you will not be an exception to anything I, as king, see fit. Understood?"

"Yes," Thor said calmly again, though his skin was boiling.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, Asgard's destruction was great upon our realm - "Good," thought Thor. - and every able body seeks to restore it. You will be one of these people. You will undo the havoc you have released upon us, and you will do so carefully. Sabotage will result in your immediate death. Of course, you can never be too careful, so for the time being, you will be put under 24 hour surveillance by a guard of my choosing."

Thor was ready to scream. He was being made a slave by a foul monster! His fury was great, and he almost got up from his bow, knowing this would be considered a great insult to the king,but before he could, Laufey commanded him to rise. Thor did so slowly, and tilted his head up to make eye contact.

"I suggest you acquaint yourselves, I have a feeling you will be here a while, Thor Odinson." With that, Laufey stepped past Thor to join the reconstructing of his palace. 

Thor stared after him, a little in awe of the respect he felt for the king, joining peasants in their duty to rebuild his kingdom.

"Ahem," came a small cough. Thor knew that a cough that small could only belong to the one he saw yesterday, noticeably a dwarf among the rest of his kin.

"I'll be your uh... tour guide, I guess you could say?" He smiled warmly at Thor.

Thor was utterly confused, but did not question the king's choice. He was relieved that his guard was none other than the one who had already shown kindness.

Returning the smile rather hesitantly, Thor asked "Where shall I begin?"

"We. Everyone is responsible for putting our beloved home together again, even the king as you've seen, and that certainly doesn't leave the prince out."

"Laufey has told me that my princely title means nothing here."

"Oh right, yes. I forgot you were a prince for a second, my apologies," Loki blushed slightly, embarrassed at his rudeness.

"Wait," Thor said, putting the pieces together. "You were not referring to me... you were referring to... yourself?"

"Yes. I am Loki Laufeyson, Prince of Jotunheim. Please, let us start on the outskirts. I fear they need the most help." He extends his gloved hand.

In shock and disbelief, Thor makes no move. "You're... his -as he points to Laufey outside- son?!"

Loki frowned slightly, "I thought my name gave you that. You are an Odinson, a son of Odin, correct?" He doesn't wait for Thor to nod. "I'm a Laufeyson. Son. Of. Laufey."

Thor's eyes were bugging out of his head.

"Please, it takes much to long to walk to the outskirts, the palace is set right in the middle. I can teleport us there." Loki's extended hand is just becoming apparent to Thor.

"Right. Yes. I - uh. Yes." Thor takes hold of Loki's hand, which he can tell is quite slender underneath, and appreciates the leather and detailing of it. Then his stomach feels like it's being wrenched out, and the palace disappears.

In a split second, it is replaced by a dismal sight. Trees upon trees lay broken for as far as Thor's eyes can see. He notices several frost giants lined up passing each other large piles of debris to be carried off for disposal. Noticeably smaller ones, that only came up to the larger ones' knees, were carrying smaller piles of twigs, branches, and unidentifiable burnt scraps of their homes.

Thor looked down at the ground. He was shamed for being partly responsible.

As if reading his thoughts, Loki placed a small hand on his upper arm, "The people of Jotunheim are more forgiving than most may think. Giving back something that was taken is usually enough for a Jotun to forgive, and accept."

With those words, Thor stood taller, and asked Loki to direct him to the place that needed him most.

The densest areas of the former woods was a good starting point for Thor. With his brute strength, he was able to lift almost as much as the frost giants, and the little ones whispered and pointed to him to the elder. The latter paid him no sort of special attention, and Thor was grateful. It was still unnerving to see them so differently, being blue and all. 

Loki was crouched beside an unidentifiable heap of brown fur, and Thor took a break to see what he was doing. He had taken off his gloves and his hands glowed softly with a blue-white light. His eyes were closed and Thor watched his thin lips mumble in a foreign tongue. When he gently placed his hands on the animal, Thor's heart began to warm. The animal's entrails had basically been ripped out, and there was no hope. Thor wondered if he should let Loki know that it was a part of life, that new animals will roam the forests again. To his surprise, the -ear?- twitched and Loki scooped up the animal and with a brighter flash that made Thor squint, he threw the animal into the air. Mouth hanging open, Thor saw the furry bundle unfurl its large wings and circled Loki, squawking as if to thank him. Then it glided away with no sign of pain.

"How - by gods - how did you manage that!" Thor stammered, truly in awe. These Jotuns were such strange people. "Truly that was an incredible gift."

"I was cursed, or gifted as you may say, with some magical abilities. Honing them, I have found more use than just simply tricking people like an amateur."

"Can all Jotuns do that?"

"No, unfortunately. Magic seems to be accessible only to me. It sets me apart from everyone else here... I mean, without magic I would totally blend in, right?" He snorts. Then he walks deeper in the forest to search for anything else that may need his gift's attention.

Thor continues his manual labour but occasionally sees a massive bird-like thing fly over the broken branch tops or ground mammals hop or bound away safely. He tells himself that if befriended a Jotun would not be bad at all if that Jotun was Loki.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

When the day turns to night and it becomes hard to see, Loki emerges from the woods, little tears in his clothing, hair dishevelled, and a small cut under his right eye.

Thor asks if he is alright, but Loki smiles cheerfully "Oh yes, fine. Nothing I can't handle. Now, I think rest is called for, it's been a long day."

Thor's burning muscles couldn't agree more, so he nods eagerly and reaches for Loki's hand, but Loki snaps it back quickly.

"I'm sorry if I have offended you, Prince. I merely assumed we would teleport back, but assumptions are for the foolish, I do apologize," Thor said before he gave Loki the wrong impression.

"Please, Loki is just fine. The title Prince doesn't mean anything to me anyway. I'm just a civilian of a broken land, playing my role to fix it. I only pulled away for your safety. When I teleported us here, I wore gloves so our skin would not make contact. I fear that your Aesir skin will burn with cold upon mine. Though I seem to have lost my gloves. But no matter, this will suffice."

His image blurred and flickered, but from his head down, he started to transform before Thor's eyes. His frost-like skin was replaced with skin - though still pale - more humanly. His red eyes were now a shocking shade of green, and Thor could tell his features were all the same, but this paler skin brought out all the details that were once hidden. Loki was still Loki, but in this form, Thor felt more comfortable, and less threatened. 

Thor shook his head in disbelief, "Will you ever stop surprising me with the length of your abilities?"

"Begin to expect more from me, and perhaps you shall stop being so surprised," he said smoothly with a grin before offering his hand again.

They returned to Thor's bedroom, which had been fiddled with. There was another bed by the far wall of the door and a curtain halfway-drawn hung in the middle of the room. Remembering what Laufey had said about being under surveillance "24 hours" and was thankful all over again that it would be Loki. Despite being his father's son, he could not be any less like him, and Thor counted himself lucky. Thor had no use for the excessive space, and maybe it would be good to not be so lonely at night, for he was still not very aware of this strange realm and it's surprises.

Loki's human form melted away, leaving him frightening blue again. Having been around Jotnar all day, Thor should at least start to get used to it, but he just could not. 

Loki noticed the sudden stillness from Thor and asked, "What about us makes you dislike us so? Or is it just me?"

Thor was struck with horror. His reasonings were rude, and being rude would get him him executed, but Loki's question was more of a demand for an answer than anything. And of course it was not Loki! Loki had been kinder to him than anyone.

"Loki, please I do not mean to offend..." but he was at a loss for words.

"Being apologetic doesn't really suit you, and since I've been with you, you've been saying sorry a lot. Stop that." His first command. Boy, if only Father could see me now. Commanding our prisoner to stop being apologetic. What a waste of power, he'd say. Really, he should be menacing towards Thor, but did not have the heart to do it. Sometimes he looked more damaged than the animals and Jotnar he had nursed back to health. 

Thor was taken aback a bit, and fought the urge to apologize for apologizing so much.

"Look, I know you're here as punishment and all that, so you're here against your will... But you'll be here a while. As far as I'm concerned, I'm your... passage, if you will, through Jotunheim. I can make this a whole lot easier, but if you flinch at every time I change form or do magic, it'll be pretty difficult."

Thor knew there was sense in that, and he dumbly stated "it's just that, you're so... different. I know it is something that cannot be helped, but you and I are as different as can be! The palace library has very.. er, detailed displays of battles between our two realms, and sometimes when I look upon your blue form, I cannot help but conjure those pictures in my head. They... they used to terrify me when I was little because they were always accompanied by bad stories."

He sounded childish, he knew. Haunted by nightmares that sprung out of paintings hundreds of years old.

Loki understood, for he could remember similar stories with the Aesir being horrific monsters, with powers of the elements, shining like the Sun to melt their frozen homes and scorch them. But he also grew out of those, when Thor clearly had not. During one of his early visits to Midgard, whose civilians looked closer to Asgardians than Loki had ever seen, he realized that they were not so frightening after all.

"I am sorry that our histories have been so misinforming... but I assure you that you and I are not so different at all. Hopefully, you won't doubt those words in a few days time." With that, he pulled his human form again and saw Thor relax.

"If it makes you more comfortable, I can keep this form around you, but it will be a simple illusion. Underneath this, I'll always be a monster to you." He flickered back to his natural form for a second, and turned human again. Then he drew the curtains to their fullest and dimmed the lights to prepare for sleep.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thor had nightmares about Loki's last words - he dreamed that he had been cursed to remain in Jotunheim forever, and be turned blue too. He woke up in the night, and shivered in the cold. Loki must have heard his teeth chattering, because a heavy blanket of fur dropped upon Thor's body. 

"Thank you," he whispered to the night.

"You're welcome," came Loki's voice behind the curtains. 

The next few days pulled into a routine. Loki was always first to rise and rinse and brought back breakfast for the both of them. At the smell of this, Thor would wake up and properly gear up for the day as well. By the end of the week, they had cleared the entire perimeter of death and destruction. Laufey was impressed, and told his son that he was proud of the work he was doing with Thor. 

"Hey, come here," Thor beckoned to Loki. 

Wiping sweat off his brow, he stood up from his kneeling position to face him. 

Thor tenderly cupped the side of Loki's face to remove the smudge of dirt he had on his cheek. Loki blushed slightly, embarrassed that he was so careless with his appearance. Thor was glad that Loki was in his human form because he was able to touch him without risking anything, and he did so whenever he could. Not sure if Loki was noticing, but he was always grabbing his hands or arms to help him up, and even lifted upon his shoulders as Loki found a small nest of chicks in a rather high branch. There were two eggs inside, and they decided to raise them together in their room. 

With every passing day, Thor noticed more and more things about Loki that he admired and adored. His smile always brightened his day, and his laugh was hauntingly beautiful. He always smelled of either fresh pine, which meant he spent the day climbing trees to help birds or nests, or of sweat and winter, suggesting he spent his time burrowing through the snow for ground critters. It was intoxicating to Thor, and it was worse that he could smell it through his curtains whenever they had time together in the room. 

Gradually, the work grew less and less. With all life possible restored, including even the smallest of the trees, Loki turned his attention to the homes and fixtures. It was exhausting work, and even though he could assemble a house within less than an hour, he would frequently need to take breaks. Thor was so amazed by the progress Loki was making on his own, he was almost surprised the whole realm wasn't in top shape again. Thor would manually put pieces in place while he rested, giving Thor instructions. They turned into a well-tuned machine, hardly needing words for communication any more. 

"It will go faster if my magic is not constantly drained by upholding this appearance, you know." Loki said one day.

Thor told him to drop it, thinking he was ready. But as soon as Loki was stripped to his bare blue, Thor quickly took interest in the planks of wood he was holding in his hands. True enough, they finished more houses, in complete silence, in one day than they ever had before. Loki never again dropped his appearance while they were working. Something stirred inside Thor.

That night, Thor mustered up all his courage, and drew back the curtains. Loki's eyes flickered up, settling his book aside. 

"Thor?"

Before the name even rolled off his tongue, he found Thor's deep in his. The kiss was achingly long, and Thor had never felt so much emotion, and passion. He felt Thor's thumb lazily grazing the side of Loki's cheek, Loki broke the kiss and stared at him in shock and disbelief.

"I-... I'm so sorry," Thor stuttered before retreating to his own side, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he might've died. A few minutes passed with no response, and Thor was suddenly very, very afraid. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he whispered to the air. Kissing the son of the king who has every right to lop your head off. Good call, Thor.

Two minutes later, Thor hears Loki's voice "I thought I commanded you to stop apologizing."

With that, his lights went dim and Thor was scared to sleep. He tried to sleep, but knew that he couldn't, so instead, he listened to the soft breathing of Loki's sleep and watched the shadow of his slender body heave upward and downward. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning was horrific, and Thor found it extremely hard to accept Loki's gesture of "acting as if nothing happened". He appreciated that Loki had remained silent about the incident to the king, but struggled to accept silence towards him as well. Every time he brought up the project, Loki would change topics, or suddenly remember something very important he had to. Still, he brought breakfast up as always, though Thor was already dressed and waiting for him. 

"Loki..."

"Yes, Thor Odinson?" he replied a little cautiously. Thor hated that Loki had become so formal all of a sudden. He felt as though he lost someone close, someone dear - a true friend. 

"When can I return home?" Thor slipped out. 

Loki looked a tad surprised, but his response was swift nonetheless, "That will remain my father's decision, but let us call for a meeting with him later this afternoon. How's that?"

Thor smiled appreciatively even though he didn't truly want to leave yet. He had just gotten to truly know Loki for what he was - not a prince holding his head too high up, stepping on his court's subjects, but a warm, kind-hearted fellow who exhausted himself to no end to help those he shared a home with. A home that Thor helped destroy. Thor felt more guilty than ever, knowing that there was still work to be done in this realm, but too afraid and awkward to stay behind.

Laufey agrees to meet with Thor.

"Well, I shall see you later if Father has denied your request, though for your sake, I hope he does not. And in that case, goodbye Thor Odinson. Your help has been appreciated," Loki says, smoothly and without emotion. 

Thor on the other hand, felt like his feelings were fighting a war within him. He was hurt, and angry, that Loki didn't even seem to care. But his shame and guilt told him he should have known better. But there was something else tugging at his heart as well - a deep feeling of loss, and it was clearly winning. 

"Loki," Thor manages. A pause. Not knowing what to say, he just throws his arms around Loki and pulls him in. "I will miss you dearly. You have shown me so much, inspired me so much, and I can never repay your kindness." He breathes in Loki's fresh scent off his neck and hair, and shuts his eyes to concentrate on remember this feeling for the rest of his life. How Loki feels.

Loki raises his hands to pat Thor lightly on his oversized upper arms, "You can repay me by not blowing up my house again." There was a twinkle in his voice, and his eyes smiled kindly. "Goodbye Thor. Maybe."

He steps back and teleports out of Thor's reach, leaving him staring at the empty space, conjuring Loki's smooth voice over and over again in his mind so he may never forget it. 

He faces Laufey, and to his dismay, Laufey has given the go-ahead for Thor to return home. Immediately. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Thor entered Asgard, he was immediately greeted by Sif, who had obviously been awaiting his arrival. 

“Thor! Thank goodness you’re safe. We thought perhaps one of those savages might’ve actually gotten you!” She giggles, and what used to be a comforting sound now sounded like a nothing but a shallow ring.

“They are not savages , Sif. Good gods,” he said roughly before storming off to his chambers, leaving her confused and staring after him.

Everything was exactly as he had left it. It made him panic, there was too much going – too much colour. He angrily ripped the bright red curtains off their golden rod, stripped his bed of their sheets, and blew out all the candles that had been set for his return. It might have seemed manic, but Thor could care less. He willed his room to be white and simple, so elegant. He wanted that slight breeze that would slip through the window on Loki’s side. Loki. Yes, more than anything else, he wanted Loki to be there.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Loki had not seen Thor all day, he started to worry. Had his Father sent him home? That can’t be possible. There’s still much to do. So he has to stay.

By the time he returned to Thor’s chambers, there was no trace of him, not even the light scent of his musty sweat. Loki noticed that his own bed had also been removed. It hit Loki then that the reason Thor no longer needed to be under surveillance... was because Thor was no longer here.

Regret washed over Loki like tidal waves. It stung like hell. Loki had been so confident in thinking Thor would stay that he had neglected to give a proper goodbye. He had to admit that the first time Thor kissed him, it unsettled him, but Thor’s last hug left a mark. Loki remembered the solidity of Thor’s frame, and how warm Thor’s chest was against his before he stepped back to disappear from Thor’s life forever. Gods, did the regret sting. 

He wished more than anything to see Thor again.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“ALL TROOPS MUST BE PRESENT AT 07:00 BY THE BIFROST FOR INVASION V”

Thor and most of the other soldiers were already gathered upon the bridge, awaiting Odin to lead them to battle – since he was the only one who knew of the battle plans.

“The ones we are facing are tricky. We must not plan too far ahead in case they foresee it” was what Odin had told them. It made Thor anxious, not knowing where to go, and not knowing what to expect. 

And nothing in the world could have prepared him for this. When the troops emerged out of the portal’s other end, Thor saw the palace of Jotunheim, newly polished to perfection, and the homes of the Jotnar that he had helped construct by hand.

 

“FATHER!” Thor’s voice boomed. “HAVE YOU GONE MAD?”

The others looked alarmed by his outburst, and most skittered out of his way as he stormed his way to Odin, who sat upon his horse with a frown on his face.

"Step down, son. This is not your place to speak." Odin hissed.

"This is indeed by place to speak, Father. And this -" Thor waved his hand around "-was also my place, period. I slept here, worked here, made friends here."

Some of his fellow soldiers whooped and guffawed. Thor feld that his whole body was on fire.

"I refuse to fight them," Thor said, his voice steady and sure.

"You will disobey a direct command from your Father? from you king?" Odin boomed.

"YES! I will indeed defy your ridiculous commands. Why did you send me here? To build a pretty little place so you could destroy all of it again?"

"I sent you to learn humility. Obviously, I let you stay too long and they have brainwashed you with those unspeakably evil powers they have."

"Father, this is insane! They do not have powers like that - there is only one magician here, and he uses his powers for good! To save!"

"Only one magician?" Odin said incredulously. 

"Yes! And he's a small, gentle man. I've seen him save dozens and dozens of lives." Thor said, hoping he could get through to his father.

Then Odin's voice echoed loud and strong, "There is only one magic-wielder! We shall take him, and destroy him so that he may not save the lives of the others we slay! Capture the small one! We take Jotunheim for good today!"

Choruses of battle cries and cheers rose and Thor felt sick to his stomach. He gave everything Odin wanted to know. He had unintentionally betrayed Loki. _I must find him. I have to save my prince._

With that, he turned to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Odin demanded.

"To prevent this madness. Jotunheim is not ours to take. I will defend it," Thor replied defiantly.

Odin cursed him, forbade him from leaving his sight and threatened him. "If you so much as step a toe out of line..."

"Or what, Father? You will banish me to another realm where I must build something for you to invade?"

"You will no longer be my son. You will no longer be welcomed in Asgard. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Perfectly." He swung Mjolnir to help him take off, and within seconds he was just a speck, flying through the air.

The troops were unsettled now as they followed Odin marching towards the heart of the city.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

King Laufey was just done lifting pieces of heavy stone to mend some broken pillars in the Hall when Thor burst in.

"Thor Odinson, why have you returned here. This is not your place."

Thor was honestly getting sick of people telling him where his damn place was. He knew where his place was. Beside his prince - who he couldn't spot anywhere, much to his disappointment.

"I am just Thor now. Banished from my former home, disowned by my own father. And I have urgent news for you."

King Laufey listened as Thor described the situation, troop numbers, and his offer to help.

"Thor, you are choosing a very dangerous path. We are of Jotunheim, we are different, and I cannot say that we can accept you here, even when you have so generously provided us with tactics to defeat your former allies. It... comes across as strange that you would betray those you have fought alongside."

"I understand, but please, you must also understand this... When I returned home, nothing felt right to me. While I was here, I learned so much. And..." he hesitated, not knowing whether to mention Loki.

"And you have grown quite fond of my son." Laufey said.

When Thor looked panicked, Laufey assured him that he understood. When Thor still seemed unsure, Laufey told him calmly, "I conceived Loki with my husband Farbauti." 

All at once, Thor felt relief, shock, and gratefulness. 

"Odin also plans to... To capture Loki. And destroy him," Thor said with great difficulty.

"I must gather any of my people who can fight and see through with this," Laufey said.

"Yes, of course. I will join you on the front lines," Thor offered.

"No." Laufey's command struck Thor oddly. "Find Loki. Fight alongside him."

Thor was thrilled.

"And whatever you do, do not let them lay a finger on my son."

"You have my word." Thor knelt.

"Let us rise from the ashes," Laufey whispered as he exited the Hall.

 

Thor immediately tore through the palace looking for Loki, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

"Loki!" he shouted over and over. His unanswered cries for his love echoed through the deserted building.

Outside, he heard troops rallying and Laufey's commands to divide.

Thor flew out the big sky roof, heading towards his old isolated chambers just beyond the palace gates. Please, please be there.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Loki laid in Thor's old bed with his eyes clothes, trying to picture him in the room. Curling up and nudging his face into the pillow to pick up Thor's scent, he remember their small, late night chats about their pasts and their father's too-high expectations of them. They confessed things that seemed too personal, laughed about things that seemed too simple, and shared their dreams that seemed too unachievable.

Loki almost fell off the bed when he heard Thor's strong, deep voice. But tried to regain his composure, not letting his mind play tricks on him. The problem with being as mischievous and as powerful as he was, was that it was often difficult to tell what was real and what he wanted so badly to be real, that it seemed real. Now he was just confusing himself.

"Loki! Please, get up, my prince!" Thor shouted, hating that he was disturbing such a serene-looking Loki, who was curled up in a sweet ball of blue skin, his hair splayed out all over Thor's old pillow.

This time, Loki really did fall out of the bed.

"Thor?" he said, too surprised to say anything about how happy he was to see him. He waved his hand to summon his human form. 

"Please, we are under attack!"

His mind still jumbled, Loki managed broken strands of his questions. "What did - How did you - Why - What - ATTACK?"

"Yes. Attack. Half of Asgard is here."

Loki felt a lump in his throat and all he could think was Good lord, not this again.

He quickly followed Thor outside to survey the mess.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thor grabbed Loki's hand, bracing him for what Thor was about to reveal. 

"Oh, well I guess having your father trying to kill me isn't very good." was all Loki could manage.

"I will never let you out of my sight, I swear this," Thor promised solemnly. Loki was extremely touched by Thor's protectiveness. He had always been fiercely sweet. 

"Thor, about what happened between us..." Loki tried

Thor looked extremely embarrassed. "I am still sincerely sorry about that, I -" and his words were shoved back in his mouth. By Loki's tongue. 

Loki's soft delicate hands were on Thor's cheeks, his head tilted upwards to meet Thor's lips. Thor was so overwhelmed it took him seconds before he reached out to hold Loki as close to him as possibly. Their lips fit together like pieces of a jigsaw, and their tongues danced shyly. 

When they regrettably had to break it, considering there was a war going on and such, their eyes said it all. 

I want you. I have always wanted you.

With an unspoken agreement to finish what they started, they stormed, hand-in-hand to the highest vantage point Jotunheim had to offer. 

The plan was to keep Loki safe, he couldn't be trapped in the battlefield, but he wanted to defend his realm and he was so fierce about this point, it actually frightened Thor himself.

So, they made an agreement. Up upon Jotunheim's highest mountain, there would be no Asgardians. Loki could work his magic, undisturbed.

"When my father arrived, he decided to randomly station troops in random places. I assume it was to avoid your so-called ludicrous magic, but he was a fool to think I would not carry the information back to you."

"Thor... I just want to thank you. For saving my home. My family. And for saving me." Loki's eyes were so heavenly and his voice felt like silk against Thor's ears. How badly he wished for Loki to be his for all of eternity.

Thor used his bursts of feelings to control the skies around Jotunheim. Clouds were rolling in and soon, lightning would be his to command. He knew that his former allies would know what it meant. He prayed they would abandon this mission, and that Odin would give up this poisonous dream. 

Loki began summoning his magic and Thor could not believe his eyes. The debris collected throughout Jotunheim started flying through the air and collecting. Piece by piece, Loki was putting together an ultimate defense. Bigger than four frost giants combined, Loki made a .... Well, he made a Garbage Man. But he was strong.

The frost giants were not hard to miss, and Loki sent his creation wherever he saw a giant fall or scream in pain. It would instantly displace the Asgardians responsible for the wounds as if they were flecks of dust.

Thor had never seen anything like it, and he was beyond impressed by Loki's doing.

Then he noticed that at times, the giant defender would stop moving completely, but Loki's hands would still move at a constant pace and he would still be muttering with his eyes screwed up in concentration. Then, he winced in pain.

"Loki! Loki, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes," Loki said though his breath was shuddering. There was sweat upon his brow. "Sometimes I try to heal those who have fallen. I can't control the Defender and heal at the same time, and it's so difficult from this distance. It takes so much of my power and energy."

"Loki, take off your mask." Thor said.

"What?"

"This disguise you wear. It consumes energy does it not?"

"It's very little energy," Loki insists, but Thor will hear none of it.

"Every bit of magic will help you now, Loki."

"But you-" Loki stopped. He knew Thor was scared of his natural form, his blue skin and red eyes. It frightened him. He could only be loved by Thor in this human skin, and he would wear it forever for that reason.

"I will love you regardless. I promise."

_Eep, he said it. He just said he loved me._

Loki felt the skin of his cheeks burn so he dropped the human form to at least hide the blush under blue skin. He gazed up at Thor.

Thor smiled and nodded.

They continued fighting, their movements mirroring each others and in that moment, Thor knew. They were fighting the same war, and for once it was on the same side - Asgardian and Jotun, side by side, they were indeed not as different as Thor thought.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The war raged on for hours. Both sides were hurt badly, but the Asgardians were clearly losing more fighters. Thor was not striking them, for he still remembered how it been when he was among them. He chose to shoot bolts of lightning at the ground in front of them, sending them running backwards from splashes and waves of snow. He drove them as far back as he could.

Anyone else would think Loki was showing off now, but Thor knew it was just how his mind interpreted situations. He had to use his surroundings is all. He had seen everything from a twelve storey snow monster tower over their foes to flocks of long-legged furry birds pecking at soldier's helmets. Once, he even saw the central palace grow a mouth and eat a couple of soldiers.

Loki has shed some of his clothing, his magic demanding so much of him that his body was struggling to fend off a magic-induced fever.

Thor admired him, seeming so small yet by far the strongest out of everyone he had ever seen. 

The Defender had lost parts here and there but Loki had not bothered to restore him, instead focusing on healing his comrades.

Thor spotted Odin's horse, with at least fifty men behind him travelling straight for Laufey, who was alone.

"Loki, your father! I have to go!"

He didn't even wait for Loki's response before taking off, Mjolnir in hand. Spears and arrows were flying at him but they all seemed to bounce off the air surrounding him. He smiled, knowing that Loki was watching over him, protecting him. He reached Laufey's side, who was angry with him for leaving Loki alone.

"He is safe, I assure you. Nobody will find him."

Though hesitant, Laufey had a newfound confidence and pride in his son. Random monsters and spontaneous healing had not gone unnoticed by Laufey. The palace swallowing some men sure didn't.

When Odin confronted them, he was outraged, "You traitor! You so easily turn your back against your people! You should be kneeling before your king!"

"Yes. You are right." Everyone watched in awe as Thor gently drifted to the ground, faced Odin and stared him in the eye. Then he turned his back on Odin, and sank to one knee before Laufey.

Anger, shock, confusion, and hurt erupted behind him. Then, Laufey's hand swung out behind Thor, and Odin's sword dropped beside Thor's body. As much as it saddened him to think that his own father tried to slaughter him, it was a sadder thought that he would do so in such a cowardly manner, choosing the moment when Thor was kneeling, with his back turned.

Outraged, he called upon the lightning and struck the crowd in front of them, sending soldiers flying in every direction. The remaining ten quickly galloped away.

With a nod, Thor took off to be by Loki's side again, and Laufey silently sent his thanks and prayers to Thor's flying image.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Thank you, Thor," Loki said as he returned.

"Your father saved my life as well," Thor stated. He saw Loki smile at this. 

"It is good to see that you two get along."

"Your father is a fine man, I respect him greatly."

They fought in silence for the next few hours, both too exhausted to spare breath to speak. But the silence said it all, and that was enough for them.

I want you. I've always wanted you.

I love you. I've always loved you.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

After an entire day of fighting, everyone was exhausted. Thor carried Loki on his back down the mountain, and Loki fell asleep instantly. Thor had also relieved his shirt and found that the cold no longer bothered him, and Loki's skin did not burn him. He felt more at home here than ever. He inspected the damage upon Jotunheim, and realized there was very little of it. The giant Defender still stood in front of the palace, and Thor walked underneath him to enter. They would have to talk to Loki about that when he woke up.

Laufey greeted him, and started to tend to Loki. "A few moments with my son, please."

Thor granted them their privacy and returned to his own chambers. There was still only one bed, but that was okay. Too much had happened and he would speak with Loki to figure things out tomorrow. Soon, he was snoring heavily.

The door creaked open, and Thor looked to see who it could be. A broad smile split his face when he saw Loki, looking healthy, and without a scratch upon him.

"Loki," he whispered with affection.

"Thor," he returned. He walked over and sat at the edge of the bed. "I can't thank you enough for all that you've done."

"You know, I used to be a prince too. Can I command you to stop thanking me?"

Loki snickered, and leaned down for a kiss, both finally able to extinguish their deprivation. Every word unspoken and every kiss and touch not made came out that night.

"You'll always be a prince to me, Thor. My prince."

**Author's Note:**

> I'd just like to clarify that the whole passing-Thor-around thing was benefit to both; Odin secretly hoped Thor would be a spy, and Laufey just wanted to use Thor to rebuild his home. Thor basically does both. Evil!Odin isn't my preference, but this is just how the story goes.
> 
> This is also the second fiction I've ever written, so forgive me for the lack of anything, I'm working on it! Thanks.


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